Collapsible clothing rack



Sept. 16, 1958 E; R. scHoLz 2,852,145

COLLAPSIBLE CLOTHING RACK Filed Marqh 31, 1955 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR.

Sept. 16, 1958 E. R. SCHOLZ COLLAPSIBLE CLOTHING RACK 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 31, 1955 EEK ki 1 11111111111011, rlllllllrl.

EDWIN ,9. 567/012,

INVENTOR Unite States Patent COLLAPSIBLE CLOTHING RACK Edwin R. Scholz, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application March 31, 1955, Serial N 0. 498,238

6 Claims. (Cl. 211-178) This invention relates to a collapsible clothes rack.

An object of the invention is to provide a rack which may serve as a support for items of wearing apparel which are to be displayed in stores and which, When in setup condition, will be extremely sturdy so as to be capable of supporting any ordinary load that may be placed thereon but which can be easily and quickly collapsed into a relatively small space for either storage or shipping purposes when the rack is not in use.

More specifically, an object of the invention is to provide a collapsible clothes rack consisting essentially of two end members, each of which is formed by a pair of upright legs suitably connected by upper and lower cross bars. An X-brace connects these end members and is pivotally connected thereto intermediate the ends thereof for swinging movement about a vertical axis enabling the end members to be collapsed against opposite sides of the X-brace. Supporting rails connect the opposed legs of each pair and are preferably vertically adjustable relatively thereto. The connecting means between the supporting rails and the legs provides a releasable lock for releasably locking the legs against rotation. Thus, when the rack is fully setup the parts thereof are rigid with respect to each other, but when it is desired to collapse the rack this can be easily and quickly accomplished.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will be made manifest in the following detailed description and specifically pointed out in the appended claims, reference is had to the accompanying drawings for an illustrative embodiment of the invention, wherein:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of the clothes rack embodying the present invention, the rack being shown in fully setup position;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same;

Fig. 3 is an end view of the same;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the rack, the rack being shown in its fully collapsed position.

Fig. 5 is a partial view in vertical section taken substantially upon the line 5-5 upon Fig.1 in the direction indicated;

Fig. 6 is a partial view in vertical section illustrating one form of locking means that is preferably employed; and

Fig. 7 is a partial view in vertical section illustrating an alternative form of locking means that may be employed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings wherein similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout, the improved rack consists of two end members, each of which is formed of a pair of legs. One of such pairs is indicated by the reference character 10 and the other pair by the reference character 11. The pair of legs 10, the legs of which are indicated by the references 12 and 13, are connected to each other by upper and lower cross bars 14 and 15, respectively, and in asimilar manner the legs of the pair 11 are connected to each other by upper and lower cross bars. The particular manner in which the .cross bars are connected to the legs of their respective ice pairs may vary considerably. I prefer, however, to construct the legs and the cross bars of steel tubing, and in the ends of the cross bars 14 and 15 to position expansible plugs 16 into which bolts 17 which extend through the legs may be screwed. In this manner each pair of legs, together with its upper and lower cross bars forms a relatively rigid end structure for the clothes rack.

Between the pairs 10 and 11 there is disposed an X-brace B. I prefer to construct this X-brace of steel rods 17 and 18 which are bent and contact each other at the point 19 where they may be welded together. The ends of the rods 17 and 18 are bent upwardly and downwardly, respectively. The ends E of the upper rod 17 are reduced and threaded and extend upwardly through the upper cross bars 14 at approximately the centers thereof and are equipped with nuts 20. The reduction of the ends of the rod 18 provides a shoulder 18" and a washer 20' lies beneath each nut 20. In a similar manner the ends of the lower rod 18 are bent downwardly and extend downwardly through the lower cross bars 15 and are equipped with nuts corresponding to the nuts 20. In this manner the X-brace is pivotally connected to each end structure of the rack for swinging movement relatively thereto about a substantially vertical axis.

Supporting rails preferably in the form of steel tubes and which are indicated by the reference characters 22 and 23 connect the opposed legs of the two pairs 10 and 11. These supporting rails have posts 24 and 25 rigidly secured thereto and which extend downwardly so as to telescope in the tops of their respective legs. The posts 24 and 25 have apertures 26 extending diametrically therethrough in the preferred form of construction. These apertures are designed to receive selectively locking pins 27, see Fig. 6. The pins have detents 28 secured thereto by screws 28 and the detents engage with the edges of the apertures 26 and serve to releasably hold the pins in applied position. Handle portions 29 on the detents enable the 'detents to be depressed into recesses 30 in the pins to facilitate their removal from one aperture 26 and their being positioned in another aperture 26. The tops of the legs are equipped with notches 31 adapted to receive the pins, and when the pins are positioned'therein rotation of the legs relative to the posts 24 and 25 is effectively prevented.

By means of the above described construction it will be r; appreciated that the supporting rails 22 and 23 can be raised or lowered relatively to the tops of the legs. If it is desired to elevate the supporting rails these rails may be bodily lifted causing their posts 24 and 25 to slide upwardly from within the legs. The pins 27 can then be positioned in the lowermost apertures 26 and caused to assume positions within their respective notches 31. When the rack is thus set up a very rigid supporting structure is provided capable of supporting any ordinary load. However, if it is desired to collapse the rack into a relatively small size for purposes of either storage or shipment, it is merely necessary to elevate the supporting rails a short distance so as to withdraw the pins 27 from their respective notches 31. In this position each of the end structures made up by the pairs of legs 10 and 11 is free to swing relatively to the X-brace and the entire structure can be collapsed into the position shown in Fig. 4. During such collapsing movement the bottoms of the pins 27 may merely ride on the top edges of the legs between the notches 31.

In Fig. 7, I have illustrated an alternative form of construction wherein the posts 24 and 25 have a short barrel 32 extending diametrically therethrough. This barrel contains a flanged pin 33, the flange of which is indicated at 34 and which is engageable with an internal shoulder on the barrel. A coil compression spring 35 urges the pin outwardly through an aperture 36 in the post. In this form of .construction each of the legs is perforated with a vertical row of perforations some of which are indicated at 37 through which the pin 33 is selectively receivable. When the pin is extending through one of the apertures 37in the leg rotation of the leg relatively to the post. on the supporting rail is effectively prevented. However, when it is desired to collapse the rack the pin 33 can be depressed against the action of the spring 35 until the end of the pin is beyond the inner end of its aperture 37. The rack may then be started in its collapsing movement, and while the leg is rotating relatively to the post the pin 33 merely slides about the interior of the hollow leg. When the rack is again set up the pin slides around the interior of the leg until it comes opposite an aperture 37 and upon coming into registration therewith the spring 35 is effective to project the pin into the position shown in Fig. 7. In this position, as rotation of the leg relatively to its post is effectively prevented, the rack is releasably locked in its rigid, setup position.

Various changes may be made in the details of con struction without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Acollapsible clothing rack comprising two spaced pairs of upright legs, upper and lower cross bars rigidly connecting the legs of each pair, an X-brace between the pairs having its ends pivotally connected to the cross bars for swinging movement relatively thereto about vertical axes, supporting rails connecting opposed legs of each pair,

posts on the supporting rails telescoping into the tops of thelegs, and pin means on the posts engageable with the legs for releasably locking the legs against rotation relatively thereto. 7

2. A collapsible clothing rack comprising two spaced pairs of upright legs, upper and lower cross bars rigidly connecting the legs of each pair, an X-brace between the pairs having its ends pivotally connected to the cross bars for swinging movement relatively thereto about vertical axes, supporting rails connecting opposed legs of each pair, posts on the supporting rails telescoping into the tops of the legs, and pin means on the posts engageable with other means in the legs for adjusting the height of the posts relatively to the legs and releasably locking the legs against rotation relatively to the posts.

3. A collapsible clothing rack comprising two spaced pairs of upright legs, upper and lower cross bars rigidly connecting the legs of each pair, an X-brace between the pairs having its ends pivotally connected to the upper and lower cross bars of each pair for swinging movement relatively thereto about vertical axes, supporting rails connecting opposed legs of each pair, posts on the sup porting rails telescoping into the tops of the legs, and pins selectively receivable through apertures in each post for adjusting the height of the supporting rails relative to each leg, said pins being receivable in notches in the tops of their legs to releasably lock the legs against rotation rela tively to the posts.

4. A collapsible clothing rack comprising spaced end pairs of upright legs, cross members rigidly connecting the legs of each pair, a brace between the pairs having its ends pivotally connected to the cross members for swinging movement relative thereto about vertical axes, supporting rails extending between opposed legs of each pair at the sides of the rack, the rails having structure thereon vertically pivotally connected to the upper ends of the upright legs, and means releasably interconnecting the upright legs and the pivotally connected structure on said rails to releasably lock the legs against rotation relatively to the side rails.

5. A collapsible clothing rack comprising two pair of upright legs, upper and lower cross bars connecting the legs of each pair, an X-brace between the pairs of legs having its ends pivotally connected to the upper and lower cross bars of each pair respectively, and supporting rails connecting one leg of each pair to its opposed leg of the other pair, the connection between each rail and at least one of the legs of a pair including a releasable lock to lock the legs against rotation relatively thereto whereby when the legs are locked against rotation a rigid support ing structure is produced but when the legs are released a for rotation the legs, X-brace and supporting rails may be References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,552,333 Mosher Sept. 1, 1925 1,612,903 Bitney Jan. 4, 1927 2,177,153 Ross et al Oct. 24, 1939 2,235,977 Bitney Mar.'25, 1941 2,285,901 Chenoweth June 9, 1942 2,481,885 Simpson Sept. 13, 1949 2,491,827 Morello Dec. 20, 1949 2,665,950 Johnson Jan. 12, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS Germany Aug. 20, 1953 

